THE PIONEERS and Vikings line up before the first game of the season on Dec. 14 at the McVann-O’Keefe Rink. Triton won it, 4-1. (Courtesy Photo)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
LYNNFIELD — Last winter, the Lynnfield High boys’ hockey team qualified for the Division 3 state tournament.
After edging Norton, 4-3, in overtime in the first
round, they lost to West Springfield, 5-2, at home in the Round of 16 to end the year at 11-10-1.
In the Cape Ann League, the Pioneers finished at 5-4 as they came in second place behind Newburyport in the CAL Kinney Division.
Fourteen players from that roster are gone as 11 graduated and three transferred to prep schools.
When the team held its opening practice back on Dec. 1, 13th-year head coach Jon Gardner did welcome back eight veterans.
Three of them are this year’s captains: Center Owen Considine and defenseman Jay Carpenter are the two head co-captains while fellow senior, Nick Kelter, is the assistant captain.
Kelter is a defenseman as well.
Anthony Calla (forward), Mike Marenghi (goalie) and Brendan Driscoll (defenseman) are the three 11th-graders returning.
The two sophomores back are Andrew Carbone (forward) and Angelo Covino (goalie).
Lynnfield had a busy preseason with three scrimmages as they played Danvers, Marblehead and Wakefield.
“It has been a work in progress,” admitted Gardner about the preseason. “We have had to battle some injuries but the kids have been coachable.”
Calla has an injured collar while freshman left winger, CJ Anderson, has a broken fibula and probably won’t be back until February.
SENIOR CAPTAIN Owen Considine and the LHS boys’ hockey team are looking forward to a new season. (Courtesy Photo)
Lynnfield is slated to play a 20-game regular-season schedule including two tournaments. They will play in the Michael Giordano Christmas Classic in Boston this week. Then, at the end of the season, will participated in the Farleigh S. Dickinson Tournament down in Martha’s Vineyard.
They will play non-league games against Gloucester (twice), Westwood, Winthrop (twice), Dracut-Tyngsboro, Marlboro and Scituate.
The Pioneers will also play their normal nine CAL contests.
In the season opener on Dec. 14, the Pioneers lost, 4-1 at home to Triton at the McVann- O’Keefe Rink in Peabody.
MIKE MARENGHI is one of three juniors back for Lynnfield this year. (File Photo)
Leading, 2-1, late in the first period, the Vikings scored with just under 10 seconds left to go to the first intermission up by two.
“That goal was a back-breaker,” admitted Gardner. “We thought that play was off-sides.”
Triton scored their final goal late in the third.
The Vikings out-shot the Pioneers 35-24, as Covino made 32 saves.
“Angelo had a strong game,” said Gardner. “Triton has a strong, experienced team.”
Lucas Deraps had the lone Lynnfield tally in the first assisted by Considine. It was the first-career goal for Deraps, a sophomore who was on the Pioneers junior varsity team last season.
Lynnfield traveled to Essex Tech on Saturday after press time. The next game for the team will be on Dec. 26 at 4 p.m. as they take on Winthrop in the first game of the Giordano Christmas Classic at the Murphy Memorial Rink in South Boston.
The next day, the consolation and championship games will be played (times to be determined).
